Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 173 The East Germans Who Took the Bait
There was still a slight chill in Yanjing in April.

The East German delegation consisted of very few people.

After arriving in Yanjing, they checked into the Yanjing Hotel near Wangfujing.

I plan to visit the semiconductor research institute located in the western suburbs the next day.

What they didn't expect was that there were only a handful of people here, and none of the semiconductor scientists who were even remotely known were in Beijing.

In addition to Mueller, Carl Weiss, the technical head of VEB Halbleiterwerk, who is an expert in semiconductor processes, was also present.

In the room, Weiss and Muller chatted casually: "Are you sure the Chinese have mastered ion implantation technology?"

Muller replied without hesitation, "Of course not."

No one can determine whether a radio has used ion implantation technology simply by taking it apart without disassembling it.

Perhaps Professor Lin could do it, but I certainly couldn't.

This refers to the crash of Freedom 7. According to legend, Lin Ran judged that there was a problem with it simply by looking at the blueprints with his naked eye, which became part of his legendary story.

The more knowledgeable I am, the more unbelievable it seems, and I suspect it's a publicity stunt by America.

Muller continued, "But aren't you curious why our Chinese counterparts are making such rapid progress?"
From mid-range products in the Freedom faction, in just two short years, what they've launched now are high-end products in the Freedom faction.

Moreover, whether it's the texture, the sound, or the electrical characteristics of its transistors measured with an oscilloscope and semiconductor analyzer, its performance is comparable to that of Texas Instruments products that we've learned about in academic journals.

From any perspective, we should explore the matter further and see if we can cooperate with China.

Especially now that we are pushing OGAS, semiconductor technology is of paramount importance to us.

Whether ion implantation technology was used cannot be detected even with instruments. At most, one can judge from the gain, noise figure, and breakdown voltage that Chinese-made transistors are much better than theirs.

It exhibited lower noise and higher consistency.

However, specific technical details still need to be discussed in person to see if the other party is willing to disclose them.

After listening, Weiss said helplessly, "You're right. We are under a lot of pressure right now. In order to complete OGAS, almost all of our processes are in a backward state."

Fortunately, the Soviet Union indicated that they would be sending a batch of engineers and technical materials from Silicon Valley.

Muller exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"

Compared to Muller, who was purely a technical person, Weiss had some management experience and knew more information.

He nodded and said, "It's true, he's already in Moscow. Kennedy's death has disappointed many Americans."

Therefore, the Soviet Union seized the opportunity to pass on information to some scientists who were inclined or might be inclined to us, and extracted some information from the part that had received responses.

It is said that the person has already arrived in Moscow.

The professor still has a lot of influence. In the past, when we emphasized the importance of semiconductor technology, it was completely useless. No matter how much resources we provided in the past, the results showed that the resources were still the same.

After the professor proposed the technological singularity, Moscow immediately took it seriously.

They provided resources, promoted OGAS, and even utilized KGB.

The professor's influence is truly unparalleled.

"It can influence not only the White House, but also Moscow," Weiss said.

This is also the consensus among all scientists and engineers today.

If Time magazine didn't compile a list of the 100 most influential people in the world, Lin Ran would definitely be in the top 20, the only non-politician in that list.

“Yes, it would be great if the professor worked in China. I believe that if the professor returned to China, probably no one in Berlin would object to our technological cooperation with China,” Müller said.

In the current environment, relations between China and East Germany are rather strained.

However, this does not affect the continued trade and economic exchanges between the two sides, and China continues to participate in the Leipzig Trade Conference.

The cold and the hot, still exist.

East Germany was a very important market for Panda Radio.

“This is too difficult. It’s almost impossible for the professor to return to China.” After Weiss finished speaking, he and Muller smiled wryly, because everyone knew how difficult it was for a scientist like Lin Ran to join the socialist camp.

Moreover, he participated in all of NASA's core projects.

The two sides sat facing each other in the conference room.

The meeting room was decorated in a simple style, with technical documents, water glasses, and notebooks on the table.

Weiss crossed his arms and glanced at the radio.

Muller flipped through the brochure.

Zhang Mei, the translator in charge of foreign trade in China, smiled and said:
"Mr. Weiss, Mr. Muller, welcome to Yanjing. I hope this visit will open a new chapter in our cooperation."

Muller nodded: “Thank you, Ms. Zhang. We saw your radios at the Leipzig trade fair and were very impressed with their performance. We hope to learn more about your technology today.”

This was a small meeting focused on technology, with only technical staff and translators participating.

Weiss cut to the chase: "Researcher Li, we suspect that your radio's transistors use ion implantation technology. The sound quality is clear and the sensitivity is high, similar to some Western technologies. Is this true?"

Li Zhiqiang sipped his tea, concealing his inner turmoil, because he had no idea what technology had been used.

The information he learned from his colleagues was that in negotiations with the Germans, one should listen more and talk less, and speak vaguely, gathering their questions and ideas before making any plans.

Li Zhiqiang calmly replied, "Mr. Weiss has a keen eye. Our transistors do indeed use advanced technology, but we can start by discussing the overall performance to get to the specifics."

Weiss frowned, took out the technical report, and pointed to a page: "We tested your radio later, and the low noise and high gain characteristics point to ion implantation."

This technology allows for precise control of doping; have you mastered it?

Mueller added to ease tensions: "Mr. Li, we respect your capabilities. If true, this would be a great opportunity for cooperation and would advance the semiconductor industry within the socialist camp."

The main reason they came was because the people there were researchers, so Weiss and Muller were a bit aggressive.

If it were Huang Kun or Xie Xide who came, they would definitely have a different attitude.

Li Zhiqiang and Zhang Mei exchanged glances.

Li Zhiqiang said frankly but cautiously, "We studied ion implantation in the laboratory, but I'm not sure whether it used ion implantation because I'm not responsible for its mass production."

Weiss's eyes widened slightly, and he tapped his fingers on the table, feeling a little dissatisfied.

Could you share specific details about the doping precision or the laboratory equipment?

Li Zhiqiang smiled and said, "It's just a small-scale trial. The specific process involves confidential information and requires a higher-level agreement."

Weiss continued tapping on the table: "Sir, you are not being honest enough."

Because with China's current technological capabilities, it is not possible to perform ion implantation technology. We have also tried ion implantation technology.

It requires an accelerator of 10-200 keV, and the energy control error needs to be below 1 keV in order to achieve precise adjustment of the doping depth.

Based on my understanding of China, I doubt your accelerator's performance and energy range meet this requirement.

Furthermore, it does not consider the need for high-resolution quality analyzers to ensure that high-precision magnetic or electric fields can separate specific ions, remove impurity ions, and ensure the purity of doping.

These two pieces of equipment represent an insurmountable gap for China.

Zhang Mei frantically flipped through the technical terms she had prepared in advance to ensure that she could accurately translate what the other party was saying.

After all, the other party's tone wasn't very friendly, and she couldn't cause an accident, or at least the accident couldn't be caused by her.

Li Zhiqiang became increasingly confused as he listened, because he truly didn't understand how they had managed to do it.

Muller said sincerely, "We understand the importance of confidentiality."

But we hope that you can be sufficiently honest.

East Germany had a sufficient foundation in precision instruments; sharing ion implantation research and development or joint production would enhance the strength of both sides. Upon hearing this, Zhang Mei replied directly, "We are very interested in equal and mutually beneficial cooperation."

Weiss softened his tone and said, "I believe you must have achieved some kind of technological breakthrough, which is admirable in the current environment."

We would like to visit the laboratory and learn how the equipment works.

Li Zhiqiang said, "We will consider it, but it needs approval from higher authorities."

The news of the arrival of East German representatives and their proposed negotiations in the mysterious Area 51 deep in the mountains was transmitted there by telegram on the same day.

Dean Qian summoned Huang Kun to his office. "Professor Huang, just as you predicted, East Germany has taken the bait."

Huang Kun nodded and said, "It's good that they've taken the bait. Our industrial base is too weak. Without cooperating with East Germany, it would be difficult to make breakthroughs at some key junctures."

At this time, Area 51 was still in a catching-up phase in many aspects. Their only advantage was their knowledge; they knew the clear direction ahead and how to proceed.

"It can only be said that we caught a good time. Major countries around the world attach unprecedented importance to computer technology and artificial intelligence technology, which has led to everyone increasing their attention to computer-related technologies. I heard that East Germany even planned to use computers to build a management system for economic indicators."

"As long as we have what they want, they will have no choice but to come and talk," Dean Qian said.

As the de facto head of the technology sector in Area 51, Dean Qian is well aware of the current predicament surrounding Raspberry Pi research and development.

The key issue lies in the weakness of the high-tech industrial system.

At this time, Area 51 had already set a goal to make breakthroughs in two areas: portable calculators and memory chips.

The former was because the scientific calculator function built into the Raspberry Pi made them realize that if similar scientific calculators could be made portable, or even larger, they would have a large market.

The latter is because the Raspberry Pi, with its card-sized dimensions, is able to store massive amounts of data. Combined with the fact that the concept of storage chips has been initially formed, and considering the characteristics of silicon, they are almost certain that silicon-based chips can be used for storage.

Furthermore, they had already created chips with storage capabilities, but these chips were more like flip-flops than the DRAM of later generations. These flip-flops were made of bipolar transistors, and each flip-flop stored 1 bit of data, which was far too small.

To address these challenges, China needs to introduce external technical support.

The Leipzig Trade Fair was a fishing game.

In fact, the samples sent to East Germany were of much better quality than those produced in large-scale production. They were carefully selected samples, with the aim of making East Germany realize the extraordinary nature of Chinese technology.

At this point in time, it is unrealistic to cooperate with the Soviet Union. Although East Germany is politically aligned with the Soviet Union, there is still room for negotiation between the two sides.

"Sigh, the pressure is too great. According to publicly available information, Texas Instruments can achieve a silicon purity of 7N. In terms of process, even the CZ process silicon, which we have not mastered, can only achieve a maximum purity of 6N."

Texas Instruments can produce 7N, according to publicly available information; their labs may be able to produce 8N.

The gap between us in this area has not narrowed, but rather widened.

"Without mastering the CZ method, relying solely on chemical purification will make it very difficult for us to break through the 5N bottleneck," Huang Kun remarked.

As information gathering on America Semiconductor Technology Development gradually becomes more comprehensive, China's time lag in obtaining industry intelligence on America is at most three months. In other words, industry developments that occur in America in January can be seen in China by April.

The more I learned, the more surprised I became, because the gap was too big. It felt like the other side's technological innovations were endless, and there was always new progress every time I looked at it.

At least in the eyes of the scientists in Area 51's semiconductor group, America must have also obtained a Raspberry Pi, and they may have even deciphered some of the alien technology data they acquired.

Otherwise, it would be hard to understand why the other party is making such rapid progress.

Even with all my cheat codes, I still can't catch up with you. Did you use an even bigger cheat code?
"Once we've thoroughly investigated their situation in Yanjing, we'll send someone to bring them to Chengdu for further talks," Dean Qian said.

Huang Kun nodded and said, "That would be best. I'll negotiate personally. Actually, it would be best to import the technology directly from the Soviet Union; they do have some unique technologies."

The Soviet Union and Russia could also achieve 6N, and perhaps even 7N, comparable to Texas Instruments. Their chemical purification processes, especially the multi-stage distillation of silicon tetrachloride, would be readily available for use if we could acquire them.

Dean Qian said with a wry smile, "Don't count on the Russians. Under the current circumstances, it's impossible for them to talk to us."

After spending three days in Yanjing, Weiss and Muller asked questions, but were given evasive answers. They wanted to visit the production line, but were given evasive answers again. They wanted to meet with other experts, but were given evasive answers again.

They regretted coming to Yanjing because they found that China had no sincerity in cooperating at all.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Li, I don't think you're qualified to negotiate with us directly, because you know nothing about the technical details, and your Chinese experts are unwilling to reveal any more information to us. Such negotiations are meaningless."

Weiss's typically Germanic face couldn't hide his anger.

Compared to his somewhat timid demeanor a few days ago, Li Zhiqiang was remarkably calm today. After Zhang Mei, the translator, relayed his words, he calmly stated:
"Sir, we have arranged a trip to Chengdu for you. There you will meet our comrade in charge of the semiconductor field, who will answer all your questions, including showing you around our semiconductor production line."

Weiss and Müller exchanged a glance and said, "Okay, since this trip isn't in the regulations, we need to send a telegram to Berlin to apply for permission first, but it shouldn't be a big problem."

Thus, accompanied by their Chinese counterparts, Weiss and Muller boarded a plane bound for the southwestern border region of China.

However, by the time they arrived in Chengdu, it was already night.

Early the next morning, Huang Kun, dressed in a dark Zhongshan suit and with a smile on his face, stood at the entrance of the Chengdu Radio Factory to welcome his two colleagues who had come from afar.

Most of the production capacity is in Panzhihua, but a small amount of production capacity is also kept in Shudu, mainly serving as a model room.

"Welcome, Dr. Muller, Dr. Weiss. I am Huang Kun, the author of 'Lattice Dynamics' who co-authored the first issue with Max Born." Huang Kun said in broken German, extending his hand to shake hands with them warmly.

Max Born was a German physicist, and although Huang Kun hasn't used his German for many years, he is still quite fluent.

Muller and Weiss exchanged a glance, knowing they had finally met the big boss.

They did their homework before coming and knew which scientists were famous in China's semiconductor field, among whom Huang Kun was definitely the most famous.

Even disregarding "Lattice Dynamics," the other party's achievements in the field of physics should not be underestimated.

This time, neither of them dared to act rashly; instead, they appeared exceptionally humble.

“Thank you very much, Professor Huang,” Muller replied, his smile full of enthusiasm. “We heard that China has made a breakthrough in silicon-based transistor radios, so we came here specifically to learn and exchange ideas.”

“Yes, your technological advancements have surprised us,” Weiss added.

Huang Kun smiled slightly and nodded, gesturing for the two guests to follow him into the factory. The corridor was filled with photos and charts of semiconductor devices, showcasing China's latest achievements in this field.

As they walked, Muller and Weiss looked around, wondering to themselves: Where exactly did China's breakthrough come from?

The group quickly arrived at the production workshop, where the roar of machines rose and fell, workers skillfully operated the equipment, and the air was filled with a faint smell of chemical reagents.

Huang Kun pointed to a huge machine and said, "This is our gas doping equipment. We used it to produce pure silicon with a purity of 5N."

Muller approached the equipment, carefully observed its structure, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.

"A purity of 5N achieved through gas doping technology is already quite remarkable," he exclaimed. "In East Germany, we were still working hard to break through the bottleneck of 4N."

Soviet Russia belongs to Soviet Russia, and East Germany belongs to East Germany.

Although the Soviet Union would provide technical support, East Germany was already lagging behind in the semiconductor field at that time. The Soviet Union also wanted to control East Germany's supply chain, so pure silicon and other semiconductors were not transferred to East Germany.

Huang Kun calmly explained, "We have made some innovations in gas doping technology, removing more impurities by precisely controlling gas flow and temperature."

Weiss quickly took notes.

However, Huang Kun changed the subject: "But purity is only the foundation. Our radios can rival those from the United States and Japan, which relies more on breakthroughs in circuit design and manufacturing processes."

Afterwards, Huang Kun led them into the circuit design department. The walls were covered with complex circuit diagrams and drafts, and several young designers were engrossed in their work, occasionally discussing technical details in hushed tones.

Huang Kun explained, "This is our design team. They optimized the circuit structure, reduced noise and distortion, and significantly improved the performance of the radio."

Muller approached a designer and asked, "May I take a look?"

Huang Kun nodded and said, "Of course."

He then bent down to examine the circuit diagram in his hand. "This design is ingenious!"

He exclaimed in admiration, "How did you come up with this structure?"

"Experience: China has extensive experience in the design of semiconductor radios," Huang Kun replied.

After a brief tour, the purity of 5N alone was enough to warrant East Germany's attention, Müller and Weiss thought to themselves after exchanging a glance.

However, Huang Kun's first words upon arriving at the conference room took them by surprise.

(End of this chapter)